10 million a magic number for Microsoft's Kinect
Microsoft says it has sold 10 million Kinect sensors, and 10 million games for its motion-gaming peripheral have been sold through February.
Microsoft announced today that it has sold 10 million Kinect sensors since the Xbox 360 accessory launched in November. In addition, Microsoft reported that over 10 million Kinect games have been sold. The global sales figures, according to a company spokeswoman, were tallied through the end of February.
Since its launch, Kinect--which allows gamers to control on-screen action with only the movement of their bodies rather than a controller--has surpassed expectations. Microsoft initially expected to sell 5 million Kinect units through 2010. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, however, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed that the company actually sold 8 million units through the end of the year.
Microsoft's Kinect retails for $149.99. It's also available in two Xbox 360 bundles, which cost $299.99 or $399.99, depending on the game console's storage.
The Kinect's success has easily overshadowed Sony's motion-gaming peripheral, PlayStation Move, which launched in September. Analysts have estimated that Sony sold about 3 million PlayStation Move units through 2010. Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said in a research note earlier this week that he believes Move "has not generated significant sales" so far this year.
It's a similar story for the Nintendo's Wii. Although that console still leads the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in overall sales, Pachter said he is seeing "sagging demand" for the Wii that he believes will "continue at least through March."
Guinness World Records shared even more good news with Microsoft. The record-keeping authority said this week that Kinect has become the fastest-selling consumer electronics device ever released, selling an average of 133,333 units per day in the 60 days between November 4 and January 3. The organization said the Kinect even beat out Apple's iPhone and iPad sales during their first 60 days of availability.
"The sales figures here speak for themselves," Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition editor Gaz Deaves said in a statement. "We can confirm that no other consumer electronics device sold faster within a 60-day time span, an incredible achievement considering the strength of the sector."
Updated at 5:14 a.m. PT on March 10 to include Guinness World Records information.